


Superstitions

by justbygrace



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-12
Updated: 2014-05-12
Packaged: 2018-01-24 10:30:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1601645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justbygrace/pseuds/justbygrace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cubicle AU.<br/>First sentence prompt & plot idea prompt. Bless you readers.<br/>Warning for brief language & Adam being an asshole.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Superstitions

"Craziest superstition you've ever heard- go." Rose Tyler leaned back in her chair and peered around the edge of the divider at the neighboring desk.

Its owner, a handsome man in his mid-40's (maybe? not that Rose had spent any quantity of time thinking about how old John Smith may or may not be), looked up from his computer screen and grinned. "Just how bored are you?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she groaned. "Just rescue me and answer the question."

"Well, there is a belief in Russia that if a bird shats on your car it is a sign of good luck and is likely to bring you great fortune in all you do," he said casually, looking up at her over his wire-framed glasses. 

Rose snorted. "Okay, now that one I hadn't heard. I'll keep that in mind next time you steal my parking spot and I'm forced to park in Outer Siberia." 

"I have never stolen your parking spot, Rose Tyler. We do not have assigned parking; I just simply get here before you do." John rolled the kinks out of his back as he spoke and Rose was forced to count backwards from five before she could speak without squeaking.

"You lie in wait so that you can steal it the half second before I get here, don't even tell me you don't." She shook her finger at him, pleased at her ability to sound so normal.

"I do not lie in wait for you!" He shook his head and then glanced over her shoulder, expression suddenly closing off. "Heads up, your pretty boy is incoming."

Rose barely stifled a groan as she turned to see Adam Mitchell strolling her way. He was an intern from the local university who believed he'd had a hand in hanging the stars. 

"Rose." Adam leaned one hip against her desk in what he probably assumed was a provocative and dashing pose.

"Adam," Rose returned shortly, making a great show of rapidly inserting numbers into the spreadsheet open on her desktop. It wasn't due for another week but Adam didn't need to know that.

"The new Italian restaurant opens tonight." He paused and she continued typing numbers, blithely ignoring him. 

When the pause continued on longer than the bounds of polite conversation required, she glanced up and raised an eyebrow at him. "And?"

"It seems like the perfect opportunity to get to know you a little better." He was speaking as if this was a done deal and Rose had a sudden attack of perverseness. She had always liked Adam, even with his over-inflated sense of ego, but at the moment she was struck by the enjoyable picture of him receiving a brain transplant.

"Does it?" she asked vaguely. From the direction of John's desk she thought she heard the sound of a can being crushed, but she didn't have time to dwell on it.

"Well, yes?" Adam seemed less sure of himself now and Rose smiled inwardly.

"Sorry to disappoint then mate, I'm already going to be there with someone else." She was, in fact, planning on spending the evening the same way she spent every Friday evening, quietly eating through a thing of ice cream and watching old sci-fi repeats. 

"Oh yeah? With who?" Adam's manner was suddenly defensive, standing up straight and folding his arms.

"I can't see why that matters?" Rose glanced up with the patented Jackie Tyler who-the-hell-are-you-to-question-me look.

"Because you're not actually going with someone, you're just saying that because you're a bitch," Adam sneered. "You're too ugly for me to..."

He was cut off mid-sentence by John suddenly looming over the divider and speaking very loudly in Adam's face. "I wouldn't finish that sentence, if I were you. Rose is going with me and I'll thank you to take yourself off before I reconsider my good mood and teach you to insult a lady."

Adam gave John a terrified glance and scuttled off a few paces. Before he had gone too far though he paused and spoke over his shoulder, "Isn't that against company policy?"

"You going to tell someone?" John asked. His inflection was perfectly even, but there was steel underlying each word.

Adam chose not to reply, instead turning tail and fleeing. John finally looked away from his retreating figure and met Rose's gaze. He apparently misinterpreted her shocked expression because he turned red and muttered an apology before sinking back into his chair.

It took Rose a full thirty seconds to process everything that had just happened and then she was out of her chair and in John's cubicle. "Did you mean that?"

"I'm sorry. You're probably busy and wouldn't want to go out with me; look at me. Daft old ears. You were doing fine, shouldn't have interrupted." He was actually starting to ramble and Rose was certain the world was ending if John Smith was rambling.

Gripping the back of his chair, Rose spun it around until he had no choice but to look at her. "I have no other plans. I would love to go eat with you. And thank you for putting that wanker in his place." She paused, suddenly embarrassed by her jumping to conclusions; he probably had some beautiful woman he was seeing. "I mean, unless you didn't have other plans. You were probably just rescuing me, didn't mean anything." She backed up hurriedly, but didn't get too far before his hand clamped down on her wrist halting her movement.

"Nope, no plans. I meant every word. In fact, a bird shat on my car this morning so I took it as a sign." He grinned down at her, a real one that she had rarely seen on his face.

"You don't believe in that." She shook her head, but couldn't help her answering tongue-touched smile.

"I do now. Oh," he paused, glancing over his shoulder. "here comes trouble."

Looking behind her, Rose sighed to observe their boss heading their way, Adam hot on his heels. She turned back to see John holding out his hand to her.

"Run?"

She laughed in delight, intertwining their fingers and dashing beside him out of the maze of cubicles and into the days ahead.


End file.
